I hear it ALL the time when it comes to Minimalist Workouts.
Dudes are confused.... So let me set the bar STRAIGHT.
Short workouts doesn't mean EASY.
Two exercises doesn't mean EASY.
Hard Work is where it's at.
Hard work brings you to the point of breaking records.
To pack on raw muscle and brute strength you gotta get stronger.
But, the tricky part, is combining hard work with smart work, which, for some odd reason, is very tough for MANY of us, including those of us who are meatheads at heart.
So, lemme break down a few key components to help you train SMARTER, in turn, allowing you to pack on more lean muscle and more strength.
1) Avoid "Death Sets" & Don't train to failure. Instead, leave a rep or two in the tank. Training alone helps you get REALLY good at this, and, ironically, you get strong training like this. I used to push each set to the limit when I had training partners. I was constantly sore and I eventually hit a wall with regards to strength and muscle gains. Leave a lil' in the tank.
2) Train Heavy, Train FAST. Force your muscles to lift heavy without resting 3 - 5 minutes between each and every set. Coach Reeve calls this Density Training and was doing this in the 70s with his wrestlers and his own personal workouts.... long before the internet came. Coach Reeve was and still is a bad ass. Go ahead and couple two heavy lifts together and attack them with intensity for 20 minutes.
3) Maximum Bang for Your Buck. When I was in Grad School, coaching Wrestling, teaching full time... my schedule was insanely packed. I would up training 2 x week, Sunday and Tuesday or Wednesday. I kept getting stronger with 2 workouts a week. I was squatting 455 for reps and the extra rest taught me the importance of quality vs quantity.
4) The BIG Fad is.... Train More... More Volume.. Mini Workouts... GPP Workouts.... I did this and it led to burn out and fatigue. In the end, that means less strength and less muscle gains. Listen to YOUR body and do what YOU need. I often invest in other training programs such as Minimalist Training & EASY Strength and then tweak the workouts to what i know my body will respond best to.
Don't be afraid to tweak workouts for your own good if you truly know what your body needs.
5) When In Doubt.... focus on short, intense workouts. If you can run 1 mile or run 5 x 200 meter repeats, take the sprints. Just make sure you warm up properly. I've always found anaerobic training to have a multiplying effect, meaning, the long term effects of gaining strength & muscle while burning fat around the clock are way more powerful and effective.
6) Ground Based.... Deadlift, Snatch, Clean, Clean & Press. Stop lying down and sitting down on half your exercises. Instead, rip heavy weight from the ground overhead and do so often.
This isn't rocket science or ground breaking info. The reminder is ALL about doing what you need to do, NOT what you want to do. The longer I do this the more I realize it takes a lot less than you think to get MORE results.
Reading THIS book was a Legit reminder. Pavel & Dan John in one book? They speak the TRUTH, I always respect that!
EASY Strength... it's NOT so Easy.
Peace
--Z--
PS: Questions, comments, more tips to add? Drop em' below 🙂
11 Responses
The irony is most people use lack of time as an excuse for not training consistently, but the same people will not adopt the minimalist approach to training. Go figure.
Niko – TRUTH! I’ve many times been stuck with minimal time.
When those days happen it’s ONE exercise for time OR 2 exercises back to back to back for 5 x 5 x 5
5 sets
5 reps
5 rounds NON stop.
A favorite of mine is Trap Bar Deads + Bench
Or…
Dips / Ring Push Ups + Rope Climbs
Gonna do WORK today, Garage workout!
I trained heavy and hard for years thinking that the more I did the better my results would be. I have just recently been turned on to this ” less is better” tactic and have really seen great results!
If I’m going into a workout that I KNOW is going to take me 45 mins to an hour I freakin’ DREAD IT sometimes! BUT, if I know I’ll be done in 25 minutes or less, I BREEZE RIGHT THROUGH IT. It’s high intensity & time flys! I feel great knowing that I got a killer workout in & now I can get goin & get on with my life. So YESSSS, these shorter type of workouts are pretty damn awesome.
Naples, Fl.
If you can’t get it done in 30 minutes or less you won’t get it done in 2 hours.
When I am pressed for time, or watching my boys and need to crank a workout I will do bodyweight deep squats and push ups for ten minutes max reps each exercise. Best thing is my boys think it is a game so we will do it together. I get a workout in quickly and go on with the day.
For the past few months I have been nursing an elbow issue that gives me issues with pullups. Arm curls are an issue for the first few, but then the bicep seems to find the groove and it is fine. Granted I weigh 255#, and I am not arm curling 255# so there is a weight difference.
To accomodate I hang in the pullup position and focus on just using the back. There is a little flex to the bicep but I stop right before the pain. What are your thoughts on that approach?
It wasn’t the pullups that caused the issue it was catching a 180# stone from putting a hole in my driveway after it slipped out of my hands after bringing it down from a overhead press. Everything else is no problem just pullups.
I prefer training alone, for the solidtude and the meditation that goes along with pushing my body through the workouts. Sure having people around adds a little jungle mentality motivation but people screaming while you are lifting does nothing for me. Training alone has taught me the importance of leaving a few reps in the tank, once my form breaks down slightly then the set is over, period. Getting stong(er) is the goal, not getting beat up and injured.
Look forward to the USC cert this weekend!
A minimalistic approach is a winner for me. I have two jobs (engineer and landscaper), a wife and two children (and one on the way), etc. I decided at the end of last year to do at least a year of 5/3/1 to get a good foundation of strength (now 10 months in with no programming hopping lol and reaping the benefits). 531 -> warmup/stretch, 1 core lift, assistant lifts, conditioning (optional), and you’re out the door. Like you said Zach, it is usually advantageous to tweak the assistant lifts and conditioning to your own personal needs. This has REALLY helped me out this year. I basically always know what I am going to be doing in the gym with very little “thinking”. I just have to pay attention to my weak points and make sure to work on them. But anyone who has done 531 (right) knows it is NOT easy.
did you just read Power to the People?
@chuck:
yo homie, read that book what seems like ages ago!!! ha ha
LOVED it
Amen brother! You are not on an island when it comes to this style of training…
Hell yes! Simple, quick, and extremely effective.
Workout today, No rest between exercises:
KB snatches 10x each arm
Sledgehammer 10x each arm
Pushup with 25lbs. on back 10x
Box jump 32″ box 10x
V – situps 10x
Rest 1:00 min.
Repeat 5x
Monday’s workout, 75lb. sandbag complex:
Do not drop the bag between exercises.
Row 8x
Clean & Press 8x
Front squat 8x
Rest 1:00 ,in.
Repeat 3x